Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release regulates class IIa HDAC localization in mouse embryonic cardiomyocytes

In embryonic cardiomyocytes, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)-derived Ca2+ release is required to induce Ca2+ oscillations for contraction and to control cardiac development through Ca2+-activated pathways. Here, our aim was to study how SR Ca2+ release regulates cytosolic and nuclear Ca2+ distribution and the subsequent effects on the Ca2+-dependent localization of class IIa histone deacetylases (HDAC) and cardiac-specific gene expression in embryonic cardiomyocytes. Confocal microscopy was used to study changes in Ca2+-distribution and localization of immunolabeled HDAC4 and HDAC5 upon changes in SR Ca2+ release in mouse embryonic cardiomyocytes. Dynamics of translocation were also observed with a confocal microscope, using HDAC5green fluorescent protein transfected myocytes. Expression of class IIa HDACs in differentiating myocytes and changes in cardiac-specific gene expression were studied using real-time quantitative PCR. Inhibition of SR Ca2+ release caused a significant decrease in intranuclear Ca2+ concentration, a rapid nuclear import of HDAC5 and subnuclear redistribution of HDAC4. Endogenous localization of HDAC5 and HDAC4 was mostly cytosolic and at the nuclear periphery, respectively. Downregulated expression of cardiac-specific genes was also observed upon SR Ca2+ release inhibition. Electrical stimulation of sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx was not sufficient to rescue either the HDAC localization or the gene expression changes. SR Ca2+ release controls subcellular Ca2+ distribution and regulates localization of HDAC4 and HDAC5 in embryonic cardiomyocytes. Changes in SR Ca2+ release also caused changes in expression of the developmental phase-specific genes, which may be due to the changes in HDAC-localization.